THE SHORT ANSWER
Choose a reading schedule based on your goal and the time you usually have. An annual plan provides broad coverage, a theme plan focuses on a question and a continuous Bible book helps monitor the coherence. Try the schedule for a week before committing to it.
Determine what the grid should solve
Don't want to have to choose where you read every day? Then a simple sequence through one Bible book may be sufficient. If you want to meet unknown parts, a broader plan is appropriate. The NBG offers various reading routes, including a division of the Bible into 365 parts. You can also view that route in the NBV21 Bijbel in een jaar.
An annual timetable is a tool, not a measure of how well you read. The amount of text can feel different every day. A short story reads differently than a passage with many unfamiliar names or concepts.
Test a normal week
Choose a week during which you continue your normal activities. Plan a realistic moment and pay attention to how much time you need to think in addition to reading. Afterwards, note whether you wanted to continue reading, had to rush or often dropped out.
Then adjust one thing: shorter pieces, fewer reading days or a different time. Don't try to change your entire agenda at once. A schedule with room to look back can be better than a strict schedule that visibly accumulates every missed day.
What do you do when you're behind?
Decide in advance how you will catch a missed moment. You can continue where you were, take a rest day or rejoin a common plan. Which choice is suitable depends on your goal. In a continuous story, skipping can be confusing; This does not have to work that way with individual themes.
Our choice: If time is short, take a short continuous section and keep a bookmark. Only choose a full annual plan if the size suits you. Also read the distinction between chronological reading and the normal book order. If you are looking for an easy-to-read publication, start with choosing a first Bible.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to start on January 1?
No. You can start an undated plan at any time. With a dated schedule you can choose where you join.
Is one year enough to understand everything?
An annual plan divides the text; it does not promise that all questions will be resolved afterwards.
Topics: Starting to Read
Sources and accountability
For information about translations and editions, we consulted these sources on October 13, 2026:
An addition or correction? Let us know.